Kelvin Sheppard played linebacker for the Bayou Bengals from 2007 to 2010 where he amassed 133 tackles, 26 TFLs, and two interceptions. Sheppard was taken in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He played at Buffalo for two years and totaled 150 tackles before moving on to the Indiana Colts, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and finally the Detroit Lions. He finished his eight-year NFL career with 429 tackles, 25 TFLs, and two interceptions.
After his playing career was over, he turned to coaching. Sheppard returned to the Bayou as the team’s director of player development under head coach Ed Orgeron in 2020. Sheppard was tasked with helping players with their academic direction, social development, and overall quality of life. He was then hired in 2021 by the Detroit Lions as the team’s outside linebackers coach, his first NFL coaching position.
That leads us to where we are today.
The Detroit Lions are coaching the American team at the Reese’s Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Alabama. It just so happens that a very talented linebacker from LSU is participating this week.
Damone Clark had an incredible senior year in Death Valley this year as he cemented his status as one of the top linebackers in LSU history. Kelvin Sheppard spoke about his time mentoring Clark at LSU and now all of it coming full circle on Lions Wire.
“Damone Clark, that’s like my little brother,” Sheppard said enthusiastically. “That’s the guy that I mentored all last year. You talk full circle. When he found out he was playing on our team he was beyond excited.”